Michigan State University Athletics
Pat Fitzgerald Weekly Press Conference Coverage
10/12/2026 7:39:00 PM | Football
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State head football coach Pat Fitzgerald held his weekly press conference Monday inside the Spartan Stadium North End Zone Media Center to recap the game against Illinois and preview this Saturday's game vs. Northwestern.
MSU (2-4, 0-3 B1G) hosts the 25th-ranked Wildcats (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten) on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 12 p.m. in Spartan Stadium. The game will be streamed on Peacock.
Michigan State head coach Pat Fitzgerald - Monday, Oct. 12, 2026
Opening Statement…
All right, good afternoon. Thanks for being here, as always.
I thought our team showed great character and heart on Saturday. They were resilient and battled. We competed hard all the way to the end, but we came up short. Came up one play short in a lot of ways—from the first play to the last play, and a lot of plays in between. But I'm proud of their effort. I'm proud of their fight. They keep fighting, they keep working hard, and it's going to pay off. We got right back at it today. We just can't stop now.
I talked to you about the analogy that I told the guys about priming the pump, and we're right back at it today. They know how close we are, but close isn't good enough. You get better by preparing the right way, and I anticipate that we will this week.
Our offensive player of the week was Jaziun Patterson. Jaz is really stepping up: 17 carries for 93 yards, four total touchdowns, three rushing and one receiving. Our big playmaker was Trent Fraley, who is playing at a very high level, graded out around 93%. Rakeem Johnson played well. Les (Alessio Milivojevic) played well, going 22-of-26. Jayden Savoury played well.
Defensively, up to our standard, Ben Roberts was the only guy nominated and was our defensive player of the game. Devin Vaught, obviously, a big playmaker with that 37-yard interception return and had five tackles.
On special teams, obviously, the big onside kick play by Liam Boyd and Samson Gash was well-designed by Coach (LeVar) Woods and his staff, and well-executed by those two guys.
Our practice players of the week: Colin Campbell on offense, Chris Piwowarczyk on defense, and Cory House Jr. on special teams. So, appreciate the effort those three guys are giving along with many others. Not only on offense and defense, but the looks we're getting on special teams have been absolutely outstanding.
Obviously, a huge opportunity and challenge in front of us this week. Northwestern is off to a great start; they're playing really good football. They pose a lot of challenges in all three phases. But it's going to be a beautiful fall day for football on Saturday—an early kick, and it's our "Go Green, Wear White" Saturday. So, we're encouraging all of our great fans to wear white.
Again, I want to say thank you (to our fans). Our crowd gave us great energy, especially our students during the comeback, and I saw the tarps off, so appreciate that group in particular for getting after it a little bit. Looking forward to a great challenge here this week.
On the energy of the student section, the athletic department community, and the psychology behind the "12th Man"…
Yeah, I think it's not necessarily unique here, but I think really healthy athletic departments have great camaraderie and chemistry with their head coaches. And we have it here: a great brotherhood and sisterhood where we're all supporting each other. Just saw Damon (Rensing) as he was walking out, huge win at Maryland. That's what it's all about.
I went a little crazy at times in the Izzone, so Tom (Izzo) owes me. I think I was there four times, so he's got three more to go (Izzo was in the student section during the Illinois game). But no, it's great, it's awesome. Tom's the best.
Students make college football what it is, and our students have been incredible. We get there two hours before the game to do warmups, and we've got 15 to 20 rows of students already there, ready to go. So, we see them, we hear them, we appreciate them, and look forward to getting them wins as we move forward. We definitely need everybody, but especially our students that we're really thankful and grateful for.
On scouting former Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles and his play for Northwestern this season…
From a standpoint of what his experience was here, I can't speak to that, so I would defer to him. But he had a great career here, a great run here, and he's playing outstanding. The touchdown-to-turnover ratio speaks for itself.
I think he's executing Coach (Chip) Kelly's offense excellently. He's given them a chance to win every game, and he's the reason why they've won the way they've won. So, hats off to him: he's playing at a very high level and doing a great job.
On receiving any clarification from the Big Ten regarding the offside call on the onside kick…
All my conversations that we have will be private and respectful of their process, and we've got to play by it, right? Ultimately, the most important thing that I talked to the team about after the game and talked to them about today is: we have to play cleaner and play better to overcome things that happen in a game. We're going to make mistakes—I make mistakes. You learn and you move forward, and I've got great respect for the officials and for the job that they do.
On managing the defense after losing linebackers Jordan Hall and Brady Pretzlaff in the game and relying on young linebackers and cornerbacks…
You become one, two, three when the opportunity presents itself. That's what we've been talking about since really Week 1: I've got to get the entire roster ready to play. Maybe I'll never say that again because I didn't want to foreshadow where we're at, but those were my marching orders to the coaches: we're going to need everybody, we have to play more guys, and now that's a reality.
So again, I'm really proud of the way the guys stepped up who all of a sudden—maybe at the start of last week or even the end of the week—were giving reps to the ones as a two, to then be put into the game. We've got a week now to get everybody ready to play, that's healthy. As far as long-term things, I don't have any updates as we sit here right now.
On facing Northwestern for the first time and playing his alma mater…
This week and this game is not about me. It's about the players on both teams. I'm very proud of my experience as a player there and the great teammates I had. Very proud of the teams and the coaches I had, the coaches I worked with, and the players I had the privilege to coach there, and very thankful for that experience.
But I'm a Spartan, and I'm proud to be a Spartan, and I'm honored to be here. Our sole focus is getting our team better and getting prepared to play a top-25 team and finding a way to be ready to go at noon on Saturday.
On whether the players are motivated to win this matchup for him personally…
No, I think our guys are very focused on getting better. We need to improve, and that's what they're working at right now.
On addressing his sideline emotion during the Illinois game…
Like the official's question, I'm not going to go into that. I said it after the game: I've got to be more disciplined and have more composure. I'm the leader of our team, and I have high expectations of myself. Like I said, I make mistakes. I told the team this morning that I apologize for any distraction that I may have created, and I've got to keep my composure.
On facing offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and Kelly's broader impact on college football…
Yeah, my first year, they (beat us) [when Kelly was at New Hampshire in 2006]. Yeah, Chip's doing a great job. Starting with the team first: I think he always has done a wonderful job taking what the defense gives him, creating and presenting issues with pictures, formations, motion, shifts, and trades, and then playing to his players' strengths and really showcasing their skills. He's always done that in a myriad of ways—be it Wing-T, up-tempo, these morphed things with every stop he's been at. He's just done an absolutely phenomenal job.
As far as his impact on the game, I think it speaks for itself. He's done a great job at every stop, has been able to morph what he does and how he does it, and has been really consistent with success. I've had great respect for him for a long time. We've known each other for a long time, and he's doing a really good job.
On David Braun establishing the Northwestern program and their relationship…
David has done a terrific job. Really happy for him. Someone that I got to know through the interview process, and then to bring him on board, he's just done an absolutely terrific job leading the program, and putting his stamp on it, and doing it his way, which every great head coach does. Really proud of him.
He is doing a terrific job. I'm a huge fan of his and a huge fan of theirs in every game but one—this Saturday. Really happy for him and his family.
On any interaction with David Braun the past few years…
We had lunch a couple times over the last couple of years when I was helping the boys out over at Loyola. He's just a terrific guy, great family, and he's doing a terrific job, really proud of him. Not surprised at all. He's a heckuva football coach and doing a great job.
On defensive tackle Mikeshun Beeler generating consistent pass rush and pressure…
Each week just getting better and better and better. A lot of young players are playing, and Mikeshun (Beeler) is one of those guys, just fully buying into the standard that we want up front from a fundamental and technique standpoint. He's always played hard, but now he's getting the fundamentals and technique down.
Great to see that, and he's just got to keep going and keep stacking days. That was probably one of his more productive, more consistent games on Saturday, which we're going to need as we go into the back half of the season.
On channeling his sideline passion and standing up for his players…
My mom's rolling over in her grave, so I need to be more disciplined. I need to be more composed. I do have a passion problem, and I've had that for a long time. But that needs to be controlled and not be emotional, and I was emotional; I can't do that. I know I can't do that. But I'm not going to apologize for fighting for my guys, and I'm not going to apologize for fighting for our program and for our school. It means the world to me to be here. It means the world to me to have this opportunity, it means the world to me to be those guys' leader, and to see the way they fought and to put ourselves in that position, and then have what happened to them happen to them, I'm really proud of their response. I'm not proud of mine, but I'm proud of theirs, and I'm going to do everything I can to fight for them. We've just got to play cleaner. I've got to coach them better to play cleaner from the first play to the last play. All those individual plays that would have changed the outcome of that game—then that final play doesn't impact it, and we probably don't have to make that play, if that makes sense. So, I just need to be more disciplined.
On keeping a level head and managing nostalgia when facing his former program…
It was a big part of my life, and I look back on it fondly with great pride. But I'm a Spartan, and my focus is on this week. We've got a lot to do to get prepared for a very good team playing at a very high level.
For me, it's a little bit more nostalgia thinking about the relationships with a lot of the guys who are playing at a high level there: going back to their home visits back when it was the old recruiting, going to their homes, identifying those guys as sophomores and juniors, and now seeing the way that they're playing, I'm really proud of those guys, and the coaching staff is doing a phenomenal job coaching them up, David and the entire assistant group.
But to see the way those guys are playing…I'm a little bit more of a GA, so I kind of get ahead, just the way I have to operate, the way my mind thinks, so I started my breakdown a week ago, and just seeing the names, and it was great to see them playing well. But I hope they stay healthy Saturday and we play well.
On communicating with former colleagues and players during game week…
Just like I do every week. Today's a Monday and we had practice this morning. If someone texts me, I'll text them back when I have time. Routine is routine.
It's pretty pathetic, to be honest with you, with us coaches: whatever day of the week you want to talk about, I can tell you probably to the minute exactly what I'll be doing, which side of the ball I'll be with at 7:15 every night, and so on. It's just how we roll.
On lessons from building Northwestern applied to Michigan State…
It's about, number one, being aligned. When the board, the president, the athletic director, and the head football coach are aligned, great things and special things can happen. We had that for a long time, which I'm very thankful for.
I feel those same things here now, with bringing Dan (Bartholomae) on board in our short time together and our conversations. That program we built was built on bedrock, and David (Braun) is doing a phenomenal job putting his stamp on it and doing it his way. That's what we're building here. Obviously, I'm not doing a good enough job yet to get us there, but every day and every rep, we're getting closer and closer to that.
On Nick Sheridan's growth as offensive coordinator and his rapport with Alessio Milivojevic…
He's been great. We scored on five of our last six possessions. When you look at the first two possessions, we only had six plays, which is credit to Illinois. Nick said it this morning to the guys: there was some gray in some guys' minds, and that's on us coaches to get that clarified so that doesn't happen.
And then you saw the response from our offense. You've got Les (Alessio Milivojevic) going 22-of-26, with one throw you'd like to have back—if he was 23-of-27, it probably would have been a touchdown on the first play. He owned it this morning; that's a sign of a really mature guy. He and Nick, along with Johnny Mack (John McNulty), are building a real rapport six games into it.
I saw Les (Alessio Milivojevic) probably play his best game. At times, we all want play calls back because they don't work, that's par for the course. But Nick has been solution-based in everything we do, not only in-game, but during the week, trying to put our guys in positions to create explosive plays and score points. We had a lot of great things happen offensively on Saturday night; we've just got to become much more consistent, and that's what we're working on.
On when conversations regarding roster management and the transfer portal begin…
Nationally right now, every personnel department is working behind the scenes doing what they do: putting together anticipated portal boards. Everybody has access to everybody's video, so you're putting pieces of puzzles together. Myself and Gas (Bryan Gasser) talk personnel every single day, but as far as the coaches go right now, our focus is trying to get better at football.
On pass protection improvements and Alessio Milivojevic's pocket awareness against blitzes and stunts…
The quarterback gets too much credit and too much blame, but I thought he played pretty clean for the most part. That helped the protection a lot: got us in the right protections, pointed us to the right people, and got the ball out of his hands on time for the most part. Our guys were in really good routes, so it was the reverse of what it had been the previous couple of weeks where maybe we didn't help him enough. We were operating more as one heartbeat.
The quarterback is a big piece of that, and outside of really two plays, I thought Les (Alessio Milivojevic) played lights-out. Those two plays don't jump off the stat sheet, but they were opportunities we left out there that we'd like to have back. Overall, I thought he played really well.
On defending Northwestern's unconventional offensive concepts with young defensive personnel…
What Chip (Kelly) does so well is: it's maybe unconventional to all of us, but it's simplistic for their offense. That's what puts so much pressure on you, they operate with so much efficiency. It's incredibly well-coordinated and very well-coached, and the guys are executing at a very high level.
There's great belief and confidence when you watch them on tape, and Aidan (Chiles) is playing at a very, very high level, which jumps off the video. We'll have our hands full getting prepared, but it's Monday, we'll put in a hard week, and hopefully we'll play our best game of the year.
On the team needing a breakthrough win during a four-game losing streak…
I thought there was a turn when we were down 17. I felt there was a turn on the sideline, and I thought there was an effort, a grit, a heart, and a character that we needed to see turn. I know we didn't get the plus-one on the scoreboard that we're fighting our tails off for, and that's the ultimate evaluator of your week.
We've got to find a way in the "one-play" mindset: there's a bunch of one-play opportunities where, if we won that play, the last play is not even a factor. That's what we're striving for: getting to that level of consistency.
The pedal is down. Nothing has changed, nothing will change. As a staff, I set the tone at the top, and we are full speed ahead. What's done is done. The rearview mirror is small, and the windshield is big for a reason: everything is ahead moving forward.
Look at what happened with Cam (Edwards) and look at what Jaz (Jaziun Patterson) is doing. To see a young man who may have been a career backup at another institution come here, be told he's the 1B, and say, "Coach, that's okay, I'll be ready to go when you need me"—and now he's ready to go. It's because of what he does every minute of every day: the urgency, the discipline, the love of the game. I challenged the team this morning: imagine if everybody in their chair attacked the day like Jaz attacks it. We've got six games left—let's go.
On quarterback developmental trajectories comparing Aidan Chiles to Alessio Milivojevic…
Every player's maturation is different, so it's hard to get into the comparison game with anybody. I couldn't even tell you how many quarterbacks, centers, and guards I've coached in my time—they're all unique, they're all different.
When we've graduated great players, I always get asked, "How are you going to replace Player X?" You're not going to replace them. It's the next person's opportunity, and they need to go play their best and constantly improve what that best is.
That's my expectation for Les: that he just continues to improve what his best is and is never satisfied with what his ceiling can be. I thought he played his best game of the year on Saturday, and he still wants more and knows he can be better. That's what is really encouraging.
On the recruitment of Jaziun Patterson out of the transfer portal…
I remember the PA announcer saying, "Jaziun Patterson on the carry," and it was always just one block away when I was at Iowa. When we got Cam (Edwards) to become a Spartan, we felt like we needed to add a couple more guys just because of where our depth was.
His name popped up on our portal board, so I called my son and asked, "Tell me about Jaz Patterson." He's like, "The Jazmanian Devil—it's unbelievable. Dad, it's unbelievable how hard he works." So that made sense. We called him, I think he was in a coffee shop in Fort Lauderdale, if my recollection is correct. That was the recruiting pitch: "Come on up." He said, "Okay, cool, I'll be there tomorrow."
He came up, sat in my office, and I said, "Listen, man, we've got a guy who we've told is going to be our starter, and we're looking for a 1B." He looked me straight in the eye, stone-cold, and said, "I don't care who you bring in. I'll be ready to go." I walked out of my office and told the staff we're taking him. It's been great, he's been unbelievable.
On seeing the team fight back down 17 points and proving their culture…
There is great football character in our locker room. These guys care deeply. Through six weeks, we've been through a lot, and opportunities have presented themselves for guys who, two or three weeks ago, didn't think they'd be in these roles right now. There's a hunger there to prove they can play at this level.
When you see J Fave (Jeremiah Favorite) and K.J. (Deriso) out there in crunch time, both making plays as freshman corners, and then to see their emotion and passion after the play—that's incredibly encouraging for now but really encouraging for the future. Those are just two guys that are indicative of where we're at: they're excited to play, they want to win more than anything in the world, and they understand winning is a byproduct of the process from Monday through the end of the game. We've just got to keep driving these guys to be better, to believe in themselves and trust themselves first, and then go out and execute.
On past games where teams mounted comebacks and built momentum…
I've seen it both ways throughout my career. I'll go back to the Holiday Bowl when we couldn't stop Utah: they were running through us like you-know-what and thank goodness two things happened: halftime and rain. We got a stop, we got a score, and we got momentum going.
That's kind of how Saturday felt. We didn't have rain, but we got a stop, we got a score, and we got momentum going. That's why the onside kick by Liam (Boyd) and Samson (Gash) hurts the most—we grabbed it, Spartan Nation had it, the fans had it. While they were reviewing it, it seemed like they were reading Moby-Dick on the teleprompter for what seemed like the longest review I've ever watched in my life. I've seen them all. I'm proud of our guys being up for the fight. Now we've just got to fight to win. Thanks, everybody. Have a good week. Go Green.
MSU (2-4, 0-3 B1G) hosts the 25th-ranked Wildcats (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten) on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 12 p.m. in Spartan Stadium. The game will be streamed on Peacock.
Michigan State head coach Pat Fitzgerald - Monday, Oct. 12, 2026
Opening Statement…
All right, good afternoon. Thanks for being here, as always.
I thought our team showed great character and heart on Saturday. They were resilient and battled. We competed hard all the way to the end, but we came up short. Came up one play short in a lot of ways—from the first play to the last play, and a lot of plays in between. But I'm proud of their effort. I'm proud of their fight. They keep fighting, they keep working hard, and it's going to pay off. We got right back at it today. We just can't stop now.
I talked to you about the analogy that I told the guys about priming the pump, and we're right back at it today. They know how close we are, but close isn't good enough. You get better by preparing the right way, and I anticipate that we will this week.
Our offensive player of the week was Jaziun Patterson. Jaz is really stepping up: 17 carries for 93 yards, four total touchdowns, three rushing and one receiving. Our big playmaker was Trent Fraley, who is playing at a very high level, graded out around 93%. Rakeem Johnson played well. Les (Alessio Milivojevic) played well, going 22-of-26. Jayden Savoury played well.
Defensively, up to our standard, Ben Roberts was the only guy nominated and was our defensive player of the game. Devin Vaught, obviously, a big playmaker with that 37-yard interception return and had five tackles.
On special teams, obviously, the big onside kick play by Liam Boyd and Samson Gash was well-designed by Coach (LeVar) Woods and his staff, and well-executed by those two guys.
Our practice players of the week: Colin Campbell on offense, Chris Piwowarczyk on defense, and Cory House Jr. on special teams. So, appreciate the effort those three guys are giving along with many others. Not only on offense and defense, but the looks we're getting on special teams have been absolutely outstanding.
Obviously, a huge opportunity and challenge in front of us this week. Northwestern is off to a great start; they're playing really good football. They pose a lot of challenges in all three phases. But it's going to be a beautiful fall day for football on Saturday—an early kick, and it's our "Go Green, Wear White" Saturday. So, we're encouraging all of our great fans to wear white.
Again, I want to say thank you (to our fans). Our crowd gave us great energy, especially our students during the comeback, and I saw the tarps off, so appreciate that group in particular for getting after it a little bit. Looking forward to a great challenge here this week.
On the energy of the student section, the athletic department community, and the psychology behind the "12th Man"…
Yeah, I think it's not necessarily unique here, but I think really healthy athletic departments have great camaraderie and chemistry with their head coaches. And we have it here: a great brotherhood and sisterhood where we're all supporting each other. Just saw Damon (Rensing) as he was walking out, huge win at Maryland. That's what it's all about.
I went a little crazy at times in the Izzone, so Tom (Izzo) owes me. I think I was there four times, so he's got three more to go (Izzo was in the student section during the Illinois game). But no, it's great, it's awesome. Tom's the best.
Students make college football what it is, and our students have been incredible. We get there two hours before the game to do warmups, and we've got 15 to 20 rows of students already there, ready to go. So, we see them, we hear them, we appreciate them, and look forward to getting them wins as we move forward. We definitely need everybody, but especially our students that we're really thankful and grateful for.
On scouting former Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles and his play for Northwestern this season…
From a standpoint of what his experience was here, I can't speak to that, so I would defer to him. But he had a great career here, a great run here, and he's playing outstanding. The touchdown-to-turnover ratio speaks for itself.
I think he's executing Coach (Chip) Kelly's offense excellently. He's given them a chance to win every game, and he's the reason why they've won the way they've won. So, hats off to him: he's playing at a very high level and doing a great job.
On receiving any clarification from the Big Ten regarding the offside call on the onside kick…
All my conversations that we have will be private and respectful of their process, and we've got to play by it, right? Ultimately, the most important thing that I talked to the team about after the game and talked to them about today is: we have to play cleaner and play better to overcome things that happen in a game. We're going to make mistakes—I make mistakes. You learn and you move forward, and I've got great respect for the officials and for the job that they do.
On managing the defense after losing linebackers Jordan Hall and Brady Pretzlaff in the game and relying on young linebackers and cornerbacks…
You become one, two, three when the opportunity presents itself. That's what we've been talking about since really Week 1: I've got to get the entire roster ready to play. Maybe I'll never say that again because I didn't want to foreshadow where we're at, but those were my marching orders to the coaches: we're going to need everybody, we have to play more guys, and now that's a reality.
So again, I'm really proud of the way the guys stepped up who all of a sudden—maybe at the start of last week or even the end of the week—were giving reps to the ones as a two, to then be put into the game. We've got a week now to get everybody ready to play, that's healthy. As far as long-term things, I don't have any updates as we sit here right now.
On facing Northwestern for the first time and playing his alma mater…
This week and this game is not about me. It's about the players on both teams. I'm very proud of my experience as a player there and the great teammates I had. Very proud of the teams and the coaches I had, the coaches I worked with, and the players I had the privilege to coach there, and very thankful for that experience.
But I'm a Spartan, and I'm proud to be a Spartan, and I'm honored to be here. Our sole focus is getting our team better and getting prepared to play a top-25 team and finding a way to be ready to go at noon on Saturday.
On whether the players are motivated to win this matchup for him personally…
No, I think our guys are very focused on getting better. We need to improve, and that's what they're working at right now.
On addressing his sideline emotion during the Illinois game…
Like the official's question, I'm not going to go into that. I said it after the game: I've got to be more disciplined and have more composure. I'm the leader of our team, and I have high expectations of myself. Like I said, I make mistakes. I told the team this morning that I apologize for any distraction that I may have created, and I've got to keep my composure.
On facing offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and Kelly's broader impact on college football…
Yeah, my first year, they (beat us) [when Kelly was at New Hampshire in 2006]. Yeah, Chip's doing a great job. Starting with the team first: I think he always has done a wonderful job taking what the defense gives him, creating and presenting issues with pictures, formations, motion, shifts, and trades, and then playing to his players' strengths and really showcasing their skills. He's always done that in a myriad of ways—be it Wing-T, up-tempo, these morphed things with every stop he's been at. He's just done an absolutely phenomenal job.
As far as his impact on the game, I think it speaks for itself. He's done a great job at every stop, has been able to morph what he does and how he does it, and has been really consistent with success. I've had great respect for him for a long time. We've known each other for a long time, and he's doing a really good job.
On David Braun establishing the Northwestern program and their relationship…
David has done a terrific job. Really happy for him. Someone that I got to know through the interview process, and then to bring him on board, he's just done an absolutely terrific job leading the program, and putting his stamp on it, and doing it his way, which every great head coach does. Really proud of him.
He is doing a terrific job. I'm a huge fan of his and a huge fan of theirs in every game but one—this Saturday. Really happy for him and his family.
On any interaction with David Braun the past few years…
We had lunch a couple times over the last couple of years when I was helping the boys out over at Loyola. He's just a terrific guy, great family, and he's doing a terrific job, really proud of him. Not surprised at all. He's a heckuva football coach and doing a great job.
On defensive tackle Mikeshun Beeler generating consistent pass rush and pressure…
Each week just getting better and better and better. A lot of young players are playing, and Mikeshun (Beeler) is one of those guys, just fully buying into the standard that we want up front from a fundamental and technique standpoint. He's always played hard, but now he's getting the fundamentals and technique down.
Great to see that, and he's just got to keep going and keep stacking days. That was probably one of his more productive, more consistent games on Saturday, which we're going to need as we go into the back half of the season.
On channeling his sideline passion and standing up for his players…
My mom's rolling over in her grave, so I need to be more disciplined. I need to be more composed. I do have a passion problem, and I've had that for a long time. But that needs to be controlled and not be emotional, and I was emotional; I can't do that. I know I can't do that. But I'm not going to apologize for fighting for my guys, and I'm not going to apologize for fighting for our program and for our school. It means the world to me to be here. It means the world to me to have this opportunity, it means the world to me to be those guys' leader, and to see the way they fought and to put ourselves in that position, and then have what happened to them happen to them, I'm really proud of their response. I'm not proud of mine, but I'm proud of theirs, and I'm going to do everything I can to fight for them. We've just got to play cleaner. I've got to coach them better to play cleaner from the first play to the last play. All those individual plays that would have changed the outcome of that game—then that final play doesn't impact it, and we probably don't have to make that play, if that makes sense. So, I just need to be more disciplined.
On keeping a level head and managing nostalgia when facing his former program…
It was a big part of my life, and I look back on it fondly with great pride. But I'm a Spartan, and my focus is on this week. We've got a lot to do to get prepared for a very good team playing at a very high level.
For me, it's a little bit more nostalgia thinking about the relationships with a lot of the guys who are playing at a high level there: going back to their home visits back when it was the old recruiting, going to their homes, identifying those guys as sophomores and juniors, and now seeing the way that they're playing, I'm really proud of those guys, and the coaching staff is doing a phenomenal job coaching them up, David and the entire assistant group.
But to see the way those guys are playing…I'm a little bit more of a GA, so I kind of get ahead, just the way I have to operate, the way my mind thinks, so I started my breakdown a week ago, and just seeing the names, and it was great to see them playing well. But I hope they stay healthy Saturday and we play well.
On communicating with former colleagues and players during game week…
Just like I do every week. Today's a Monday and we had practice this morning. If someone texts me, I'll text them back when I have time. Routine is routine.
It's pretty pathetic, to be honest with you, with us coaches: whatever day of the week you want to talk about, I can tell you probably to the minute exactly what I'll be doing, which side of the ball I'll be with at 7:15 every night, and so on. It's just how we roll.
On lessons from building Northwestern applied to Michigan State…
It's about, number one, being aligned. When the board, the president, the athletic director, and the head football coach are aligned, great things and special things can happen. We had that for a long time, which I'm very thankful for.
I feel those same things here now, with bringing Dan (Bartholomae) on board in our short time together and our conversations. That program we built was built on bedrock, and David (Braun) is doing a phenomenal job putting his stamp on it and doing it his way. That's what we're building here. Obviously, I'm not doing a good enough job yet to get us there, but every day and every rep, we're getting closer and closer to that.
On Nick Sheridan's growth as offensive coordinator and his rapport with Alessio Milivojevic…
He's been great. We scored on five of our last six possessions. When you look at the first two possessions, we only had six plays, which is credit to Illinois. Nick said it this morning to the guys: there was some gray in some guys' minds, and that's on us coaches to get that clarified so that doesn't happen.
And then you saw the response from our offense. You've got Les (Alessio Milivojevic) going 22-of-26, with one throw you'd like to have back—if he was 23-of-27, it probably would have been a touchdown on the first play. He owned it this morning; that's a sign of a really mature guy. He and Nick, along with Johnny Mack (John McNulty), are building a real rapport six games into it.
I saw Les (Alessio Milivojevic) probably play his best game. At times, we all want play calls back because they don't work, that's par for the course. But Nick has been solution-based in everything we do, not only in-game, but during the week, trying to put our guys in positions to create explosive plays and score points. We had a lot of great things happen offensively on Saturday night; we've just got to become much more consistent, and that's what we're working on.
On when conversations regarding roster management and the transfer portal begin…
Nationally right now, every personnel department is working behind the scenes doing what they do: putting together anticipated portal boards. Everybody has access to everybody's video, so you're putting pieces of puzzles together. Myself and Gas (Bryan Gasser) talk personnel every single day, but as far as the coaches go right now, our focus is trying to get better at football.
On pass protection improvements and Alessio Milivojevic's pocket awareness against blitzes and stunts…
The quarterback gets too much credit and too much blame, but I thought he played pretty clean for the most part. That helped the protection a lot: got us in the right protections, pointed us to the right people, and got the ball out of his hands on time for the most part. Our guys were in really good routes, so it was the reverse of what it had been the previous couple of weeks where maybe we didn't help him enough. We were operating more as one heartbeat.
The quarterback is a big piece of that, and outside of really two plays, I thought Les (Alessio Milivojevic) played lights-out. Those two plays don't jump off the stat sheet, but they were opportunities we left out there that we'd like to have back. Overall, I thought he played really well.
On defending Northwestern's unconventional offensive concepts with young defensive personnel…
What Chip (Kelly) does so well is: it's maybe unconventional to all of us, but it's simplistic for their offense. That's what puts so much pressure on you, they operate with so much efficiency. It's incredibly well-coordinated and very well-coached, and the guys are executing at a very high level.
There's great belief and confidence when you watch them on tape, and Aidan (Chiles) is playing at a very, very high level, which jumps off the video. We'll have our hands full getting prepared, but it's Monday, we'll put in a hard week, and hopefully we'll play our best game of the year.
On the team needing a breakthrough win during a four-game losing streak…
I thought there was a turn when we were down 17. I felt there was a turn on the sideline, and I thought there was an effort, a grit, a heart, and a character that we needed to see turn. I know we didn't get the plus-one on the scoreboard that we're fighting our tails off for, and that's the ultimate evaluator of your week.
We've got to find a way in the "one-play" mindset: there's a bunch of one-play opportunities where, if we won that play, the last play is not even a factor. That's what we're striving for: getting to that level of consistency.
The pedal is down. Nothing has changed, nothing will change. As a staff, I set the tone at the top, and we are full speed ahead. What's done is done. The rearview mirror is small, and the windshield is big for a reason: everything is ahead moving forward.
Look at what happened with Cam (Edwards) and look at what Jaz (Jaziun Patterson) is doing. To see a young man who may have been a career backup at another institution come here, be told he's the 1B, and say, "Coach, that's okay, I'll be ready to go when you need me"—and now he's ready to go. It's because of what he does every minute of every day: the urgency, the discipline, the love of the game. I challenged the team this morning: imagine if everybody in their chair attacked the day like Jaz attacks it. We've got six games left—let's go.
On quarterback developmental trajectories comparing Aidan Chiles to Alessio Milivojevic…
Every player's maturation is different, so it's hard to get into the comparison game with anybody. I couldn't even tell you how many quarterbacks, centers, and guards I've coached in my time—they're all unique, they're all different.
When we've graduated great players, I always get asked, "How are you going to replace Player X?" You're not going to replace them. It's the next person's opportunity, and they need to go play their best and constantly improve what that best is.
That's my expectation for Les: that he just continues to improve what his best is and is never satisfied with what his ceiling can be. I thought he played his best game of the year on Saturday, and he still wants more and knows he can be better. That's what is really encouraging.
On the recruitment of Jaziun Patterson out of the transfer portal…
I remember the PA announcer saying, "Jaziun Patterson on the carry," and it was always just one block away when I was at Iowa. When we got Cam (Edwards) to become a Spartan, we felt like we needed to add a couple more guys just because of where our depth was.
His name popped up on our portal board, so I called my son and asked, "Tell me about Jaz Patterson." He's like, "The Jazmanian Devil—it's unbelievable. Dad, it's unbelievable how hard he works." So that made sense. We called him, I think he was in a coffee shop in Fort Lauderdale, if my recollection is correct. That was the recruiting pitch: "Come on up." He said, "Okay, cool, I'll be there tomorrow."
He came up, sat in my office, and I said, "Listen, man, we've got a guy who we've told is going to be our starter, and we're looking for a 1B." He looked me straight in the eye, stone-cold, and said, "I don't care who you bring in. I'll be ready to go." I walked out of my office and told the staff we're taking him. It's been great, he's been unbelievable.
On seeing the team fight back down 17 points and proving their culture…
There is great football character in our locker room. These guys care deeply. Through six weeks, we've been through a lot, and opportunities have presented themselves for guys who, two or three weeks ago, didn't think they'd be in these roles right now. There's a hunger there to prove they can play at this level.
When you see J Fave (Jeremiah Favorite) and K.J. (Deriso) out there in crunch time, both making plays as freshman corners, and then to see their emotion and passion after the play—that's incredibly encouraging for now but really encouraging for the future. Those are just two guys that are indicative of where we're at: they're excited to play, they want to win more than anything in the world, and they understand winning is a byproduct of the process from Monday through the end of the game. We've just got to keep driving these guys to be better, to believe in themselves and trust themselves first, and then go out and execute.
On past games where teams mounted comebacks and built momentum…
I've seen it both ways throughout my career. I'll go back to the Holiday Bowl when we couldn't stop Utah: they were running through us like you-know-what and thank goodness two things happened: halftime and rain. We got a stop, we got a score, and we got momentum going.
That's kind of how Saturday felt. We didn't have rain, but we got a stop, we got a score, and we got momentum going. That's why the onside kick by Liam (Boyd) and Samson (Gash) hurts the most—we grabbed it, Spartan Nation had it, the fans had it. While they were reviewing it, it seemed like they were reading Moby-Dick on the teleprompter for what seemed like the longest review I've ever watched in my life. I've seen them all. I'm proud of our guys being up for the fight. Now we've just got to fight to win. Thanks, everybody. Have a good week. Go Green.
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